Packaging apparatus and process

Abstract

An apparatus for packaging includes a film supplying station presenting a roll support configured to receive a feed roll and to rotate it around a respective unwinding axis to unroll consecutive portions of plastic film. A selected unrolled portion having width significantly greater than its length is positioned inside a packaging station with the width aligned along the alignment direction of a row of product loaded supports to be packaged. The packaging station heat seals the selected unrolled portion to the underlying row of product loaded supports.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of packaging:
 positioning supports, with a respective product thereon, inside a packaging station, the packaging station comprising a lower tool and an upper tool cooperating with the lower tool, wherein:
 the supports are positioned at a lower tool loading area in one or more rows of supports, 
 each of the one or more rows of supports includes supports aligned along a predetermined alignment direction, and 
 a number of the supports in each of the one or more rows of supports is greater than a number of support rows in the lower tool loading area or with the support loading area extending more along the alignment direction than perpendicularly to the alignment direction; 
 
 unrolling a top closure film from a feed roll of a film supplying station by allowing the feed roll to turn about a respective unwinding axis, the top closure film having a width measured parallel to the unwinding axis; 
 transferring a selected unrolled portion of the top closure film inside the packaging station, wherein the selected unrolled portion is a strip spanning across and having the width of the top closure film, and wherein the selected unrolled portion is positioned above the lower tool loading area with the width of the selected unrolled portion aligned to the alignment direction of the one or more of the rows of supports present in the lower tool loading area; and 
 fixing the selected unrolled portion of the top closure film to the supports present in the packaging station; 
 wherein the supports are positioned at the lower tool loading area in correspondence of one or more rows of seats aligned along the alignment direction, and wherein each of the one or more row of seats comprises at least three seats to define a respective row of supports having at least three supports; 
 wherein the lower tool, at the lower tool loading area, has rows of seats aligned along the alignment direction and receives the supports positioned according to the rows of supports. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected unrolled portion of the top closure film transferred inside the packaging station and above the lower tool loading area has:
 a width sufficient to cover the extension along the alignment direction of the supports in the packaging station, and 
 a length, measured perpendicular to the width, sufficient to cover the extension, perpendicular to the alignment direction, of the supports present in the packaging station. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected unrolled portion of the top closure film transferred inside the packaging station and above the lower tool loading area has a rectangular shape. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a number of seats on each of the one or more row of seats is at least twice the number of rows of seats present in the lower tool loading area. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the process comprises repeating at intervals a packaging cycle comprising at least the following steps:
 configuring the packaging station in an open configuration, where the upper and lower tools are spaced apart the one from the other, 
 with the packaging station in the open configuration
 executing the step of positioning the supports, with at least a product loaded thereon, in the packaging station, 
 executing the step of transferring the unrolled portion into the packaging station and above the lower tool loading area, 
 
 configuring the packaging station in a closed configuration, wherein the upper and lower tools are approached to each other, 
 with the packaging station in a closed configuration, fixing the top closure film to the supports, in particular heat sealing to the supports the selected portion the top closure film which has been transferred into the packaging station and above the lower tool loading area. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising executing a cutting procedure at a cutting station operatively interposed between the supplying station and the transfer device, wherein the cutting station receives the top closure film and separates the selected unrolled portion from the top closure film before the selected unrolled portion is transferred inside the packaging station, wherein the cutting procedure comprises either:
 transversally separating the selected unrolled portion from the top closure film, forming a separated unrolled portion, divided from the rest of the closure film coming from the feed roll, in the form of a unitary strip having the width of the top closure film; or 
 transversally separating the selected unrolled portion from the top closure film and longitudinally dividing the closure film at the selected unrolled portion, forming a separated unrolled portion that includes a plurality of longitudinally separated and transversally adjacent distinct film sheets. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further wherein:
 the separated unrolled portion is sized to cover the supports of one of the one or more rows of supports present in the packaging station and to cover the one or more rows of supports present in the packaging station; and 
 after the separated unrolled portion is transferred into the sealing station, the separated unrolled portion is engaged to the underlying supports present in the lower tool load area such that each of the supports is fixed to a respective part of the separated unrolled portion or to a respective one of the distinct film sheets. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the width of the top closure film, measured parallel to the unwinding axis, is at least 450 mm and the top closure film is a plastic film having a thickness between 10 and 200 μm; or 
 the width of the top closure film, measured parallel to the unwinding axis, is at least 600 mm and the top closure film is extruded mono or multilayer plastic film. 
 
     
     
       9. A method of packaging:
 positioning supports, with a respective product thereon, inside a packaging station, the packaging station comprising a lower tool and an upper tool cooperating with the lower tool, wherein:
 the supports are positioned at a lower tool loading area in one or more rows of supports, 
 each of the one or more rows of supports includes supports aligned along a predetermined alignment direction, and 
 a number of the supports in each of the one or more rows of supports is greater than a number of support rows in the lower tool loading area or with the support loading area extending more along the alignment direction than perpendicularly to the alignment direction; 
 
 unrolling a top closure film from a feed roll of a film supplying station by allowing the feed roll to turn about a respective unwinding axis, the top closure film having a width measured parallel to the unwinding axis, 
 transferring a selected unrolled portion of the top closure film inside the packaging station, wherein the selected unrolled portion is a strip spanning across and having the width of the top closure film, and wherein the selected unrolled portion is positioned above the lower tool loading area with the width of the selected unrolled portion aligned to the alignment direction of the one or more of the rows of supports present in the lower tool loading area; 
 fixing the selected unrolled portion of the top closure film to the supports present in the packaging station; 
 wherein the transferring comprises:
 positioning the selected unrolled portion on an active surface of a transfer body; and 
 with the packaging station in the open configuration:
 moving the transfer body and the selected unrolled portion from the cutting station to the packaging station and underneath the upper tool, 
 releasing the selected unrolled portion from the active surface of the transfer body and capturing the selected unrolled portion by a lower surface of the upper tool, and 
 returning the transfer body to the cutting station. 
 
 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the active surface of the transfer body is flat and keeps the selected unrolled portion in position under a suction force exerted by sucking air through a plurality of suction holes present on the active surface and connected to a vacuum source. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus comprising:
 a film supplying station configured to supply a top closure film, wherein the film supplying station is configured to engage at least one feed roll to rotate about a respective unwinding axis to allow unrolling of the top closure film from the feed roll, 
 a packaging station having:
 a lower tool that presents a lower tool loading area configured to receive a plurality of supports positioned according to one or more rows of supports, wherein:
 each of the one or more rows of supports includes a plurality of supports aligned along a predetermined alignment direction, and 
 a number of supports in each of the one or more rows of supports is greater than a number of rows of supports in the lower tool loading area, or the support loading area extending more along the alignment direction than perpendicularly to the alignment direction, 
 
 an upper tool configured to cooperate with the lower tool for fixing the top closure film to the plurality of supports present in the packaging station; and 
 
 a transfer device configured to:
 act on a selected unrolled portion of the top closure film having the width, measured parallel to the unwinding axis, of the top closure film, and 
 transfer the selected unrolled portion into the packaging station and above the lower tool loading area, with the width of the selected unrolled portion aligned to the alignment direction of the rows of supports in the lower tool loading area; 
 
 wherein:
 the lower tool, at the lower tool loading area, has a plurality of parallel rows of seats aligned along the alignment direction and configured to receive the supports positioned according to the rows of supports; and 
 a number of seats on each row of seats is at least twice a number of rows of seats present in the lower tool loading area. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the film supplying station is configured to engage the at least one feed roll to rotate about the respective unwinding axis which is parallel to the predetermined alignment direction; 
 the transfer device is configured to:
 act on the selected unrolled portion located at a pick-up zone of the apparatus positioned between the film supplying station and the packaging station, 
 transfer above the lower tool loading area, the selected unrolled portion of the top closure film; and 
 
 the selected unrolled portion of the top closure film has:
 a width sufficient to cover the extension, along the alignment direction, of the lower tool loading area, to cover the supports of one of the one or more rows of supports present in the packaging station, 
 a length sufficient to cover the entire extension, perpendicular to the alignment direction, of the lower tool loading area, to cover the one or more rows of supports present in the packaging station. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the transfer device is configured to:
 act on the selected unrolled portion located at the pick-up zone of the apparatus positioned between the film supplying station and the packaging station, and 
 transfer above the lower tool loading area, the selected unrolled portion of the top closure film having width greater than the respective length. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the transfer device is configured to act on, and transfer above the lower tool loading area, the selected unrolled portion of the top closure film having a width at least twice the respective length. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the lower tool, at the lower tool loading area, has one or more rows of seats aligned along the alignment direction and configured to receive the supports positioned according to the one or more rows of supports and wherein each of the one or more rows of seats comprises at least three aligned seats. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the film supplying station is configured to engage one feed roll providing the top closure film of width, measured parallel to the unwinding axis, of at least 450 mm; and
 wherein the top closure film is a plastic film having a thickness between 10 and 200 μm. 
 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the film supplying station is configured to engage one feed roll providing the top closure film of width, measured parallel to the unwinding axis, of at least at least 600 mm.